Poll: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2021, Yas Island - Race 22

[Bar]

Ultimately Masi was put into a difficult position, his decisions would decide who was the world champion. Ultimately the safest option (which would have made everyone at RedBull and Maxs fans unhappy) would have been to stick within the rules - this would have given the win to Hamilton. He choose to go off-piste which was always going to gift it to Verstappen.

The former would have made people unhappy but would be fully in line with the rules and regulations, the latter opens up a whole world of misery and discomfort.

 

[BuffetSlayer]

so side question, is Masi just bad at his job, does he have the wrong/not enough team around him, or is he doing it with one arm tied behind his back by Liberty wanting "a show"?

Bit of both I reckon, but I do suspect Masi is just a puppet.

 

[Jono8]

So they can see into the future?

You can't change the result based on probability.

You are thinking about this in an illogical manner.

No one is saying that Mercedes knew the future. Mercedes made the RIGHT call on the balance of probability that the safety car wouldnt end with all cars unlapping themselves by the end of the race. It was quite obvious this was likely as there were only a few laps to go.

Red Bull only pitted Max because they now they had nothing to lose. They likely knew it was unlikely to have worked, but why not try? Otherwise he loses anyway.

Has the rules been followed, Mercedes' decision would have been the correct one. There is no rule that says only some cars get to unlap themselves (only the ones between Lewis and Max), and that the safety car can then come in on that same lap. Had that been a rule/possibility, Merc may have made a different call.

 

[muon]

I don't understand this argument that Masi wanted the race to finish as a 'race'. Did the 55 laps beforehand not count?

 

[Combat squirrel]

Aye lewis was the better driver and had the better car. They wanted a change from lewis winning every year it looks better in the history books and makes the sport more appealing people get bored when the same person wins every year, less sponsorship and thats why they gifted it on a plate to first time championship winner Max. Thats much better publicity.

Yep this.

 

[Jono8]

I don't understand this argument that Masi wanted the race to finish as a 'race'. Did the 55 laps beforehand not count?

Apparently not. Only one lap with Lewis on 40 lap old hards and Max on brand new softs counts...

 

[bayo000]

It doesn’t seem like you’re saying that though. People happen to support competitors that become the “underdog” but to say it’s nice to have someone new win just “because”, without you actually being a supporter of them at any point is just a bit naff.

Merc and Lewis dominated the sport for so long that everyone else became an underdog so for lot of people who support other teams and drivers it is nice to have a new winner.

 

[mattx2]

I don't understand this argument that Masi wanted the race to finish as a 'race'. Did the 55 laps beforehand not count?

No but 2 laps behind a safety car at spa is a race

 

[Jono8]

Even the other drivers had no clue what Masi was doing:

https://streamable.com/lg8ls0

 

[the wopster]

I don't understand this argument that Masi wanted the race to finish as a 'race'. Did the 55 laps beforehand not count?

It wasn’t a race though, he handed the win to max, old hards vs new softs, there was only 1 outcome

 

[Journey]

I don't understand this argument that Masi wanted the race to finish as a 'race'. Did the 55 laps beforehand not count?

Again exactly this, the 'race' was done and over, a car crashed and the safety rules put in place were not followed as they have been in the past.

 

[Kenai]

Apparently not. Only one lap with Lewis on 40 lap old hards and Max on brand new softs counts...

Basically turned into the equivalent of 'next goal wins' when one team is lining up to take a penalty kick

 

[Scania]

Much as I think Hamilton is a pretentious prat I have to say he had this championship sewn up, he it appears, has been denied it by a stitch up.

Looks like the lawyers are deciding it now which is no way for either to win or lose.

 

[Slam62]

The longer this goes on the less the result seems to matter,

 

[MooMoo444]

4 laps left, Verstappen was like 10 sec behind. It was over. Shoulda just been a red.

 

[booyaka]

I don't think there is any "conspiracy" here - I just think the pressure from the teams has forced Masi to make a rash decision knowing there was only 1 lap left....

He folded to RB pressure this time

They need to get rid of the open line to Race Director - Let them make decisions like a referee does and they need to move on/suck it up.

I honestly think he just panicked....

 

[Slam62]

No but 2 laps behind a safety car at spa is a race

Let them race

 

[Locky]

All the drivers know Lewis was robbed and FIA are corrupt..

 

[this_is_gav]

Has the rules been followed, Mercedes' decision would have been the correct one.

They couldn't have known that though. If they'd kept the cars behind they likely would have restarted the lap before, as Latifi's car and the debris had been cleared. Who knows what would have happened if there were two laps to go and Verstappen was on scuffed softs and Hamilton on worn hards. We can only hypothesise. Even if they had only raced one lap with the lapped cars still between them, it's still hypothetical.

Mercedes lost it because they had a window and instead chose hope or defence of a wounded soldier. It doesn't make it fair or deserved on Hamilton's part - he should have won the title, and I'd hope he would after Saudi Arabia.

 

[Kenai]

Even the other drivers had no clue what Masi was doing:

https://streamable.com/lg8ls0

In a sense Masi got lucky he wasn't splitting up lapped runners fighting for points. If Ricciardo had been 10th and they let up to 9th unlap, that would have highlighted how stupid the idea was

 

[Slam62]

They couldn't have known that though. If they'd kept the cars behind they likely would have restarted the lap before, as Latifi's car and the debris had been cleared. Who knows what would have happened if there were two laps to go and Verstappen was on scuffed softs and Hamilton on worn hards. We can only hypothesise. Even if they had only raced one lap with the lapped cars still between them, it's still hypothetical.

Mercedes lost it because they had a window and instead chose hope or defence of a wounded soldier.

Yeah but they also did the calculations and looked at the rules, the only risk was how long the crash would take to clear up, but they got that right.